This invention is directed to over the air (OTA) provisioning of wireless mobile stations and more specifically to OTA provisioning of dual mode wireless mobile stations where an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) mode is utilized to accomplish the initial provisioning for operation of the mobile station for that mode.
Commonly used wireless communication devices such as cellular handsets are now prevalent in many parts of the world. Before a new wireless mobile station (MS), also referred to as a handset, can support user communications, it must be provisioned, i.e. it must have its Mobile Identity Number (MIN) and the necessary data to access the service providers network stored in it. A known way of provisioning a MS, e.g. a cellular handset, is for the user to take the MS to a service center of the system operator where the MS is plugged into specialized equipment to accomplish an interchange of information with the MS. For example, the specialized equipment reads and stores an electronic serial number of the MS, and in cooperation with the MS stores the MIN, Mobile Directory Number, Preferred Roaming List (PRL) in the MS. The specialized equipment also stores the Authentication Key (A-Key) and Shared Secret Data (SSD) in the MS. The A-Key and SSD are later utilized by the network to authenticate the MS as a valid MS.
Some wireless communications systems support Over the Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) wherein a new, unprovisioned, MS can become provisioned by utilizing wireless signaling. A predetermined provisioning protocol and defined messages associated with the protocol are utilized on an over the air channel between the MS and a radio access node (RAN) of the service provider to provision the MS. Provisioning messages are exchanged between the MS and a provisioning center of the system operator. Such OTA provisioning is desirable by customers since it eliminates the otherwise required trip by the customer to a service center of the system operator and allows service provider to sell their service through mass marketing channels like Electronic Stores and Super Markets. A customer can buy a new phone from a store, come home and call the service provider to have their service started and the phone updated with the necessary data all in the privacy and convenience of their home. For example, IS683D protocol can be used by systems that implement it to provision CDMA 3G-1X terminals over the air.
As wireless communications systems continue to evolve, different types of communication systems are in use. Many of these communication systems are incompatible with the other systems, i.e. a single mode MS designed for one system cannot engage in communications in another system utilizing different communication technology, for example a single mode CDMA phone can not work in a GSM network. As an attempt to provide greater flexibility to users, dual mode MS's are coming into use. These dual mode MS comprise a handset that is capable of communications with first and second communication systems that employ different communication technology, e.g. a terminal may work in both Analog and CDMA mode or in both CDMA and GSM mode. Basically the dual mode MS is analogous to the user simultaneously carrying both a first and second single mode MS. That is, the dual mode MS can typically operate at any one time in one of two different communication technology modes. Although this provides the user with increased communication flexibility, the user typically has to go through a process of updating the data in the MS corresponding to the two different communication technology modes utilized by the MS so that each mode of the MS will be operational in the respective system. To meet this goal there are protocols like IS683D and products based on the same to provision a dual mode Analog/CDMA terminal for both technologies when the MS first accesses the network. Further it is desirable to be able to initially provision a MS regardless of which mode of operation the user selects for a first access.